Keep Disease Out of Your Lawn This Spring

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Homeowners often anticipate the end of winter and the coming of spring as their lawns and gardens come back to life with excitement, but it’s crucial not to overlook the issues that warm weather brings along with it. As your lawn begins to green up again, you may notice some unsightly circular brown spots. This is an indication that disease in grass is likely present. Don’t worry, though! There are ways to treat disease and steps you can take to prevent it from coming back in the future. 

How to Know When Disease is Present

Sometimes it can be a little difficult to know if a disease is present in your lawn or if brown spots are caused by something else like shade, insects or heat damage. Most of the time, diseases in your lawn present themselves as circular, irregular or patchy spots. The diseased spots are usually brown, yellow or colorless, making them stand out from the unaffected healthy grass. If you’re still unsure if a disease is causing issues in your lawn, our Carolina Fresh Farms staff can oftentimes diagnose problems by looking at close-up pictures of the disease and help you come up with effective solutions. Locate your closest Carolina Fresh Farms outlet here. Below, you’ll find some examples of classic cases.

What Causes Disease Breakout in the Spring

Springtime creates the perfect conditions for a disease outbreak in warm season grasses like zoysia, centipede grass, St. Augustine and bermudagrass. The change in temperature from cool to warm causes soil conditions to change, making spring lawn disease a threat. The same concept goes for the fall season for warm season turfgrasses—as temperatures transition from warm to cool, disease outbreaks become more frequent. 

Another factor that makes a lawn fall victim to disease is damp conditions, and the springtime often brings rain patterns that cause the ground to stay damp for long periods of time. The combination of warm weather and rain make a lawn especially vulnerable to disease, making spring one of the most difficult seasons to keep a yard healthy.

Benefits of Fungicide (Prevention and Cure)

When it comes to keeping lawn disease out preventively or knocking it out curatively, there is really one way to go: fungicide. The great thing about using fungicides is that they can be used to both prevent and cure, so regular use will help to keep your yard free of disease without having to endure major breakouts. 

When using fungicide to deal with a disease outbreak, simply use a larger dosage than what is needed for a prevention application. Be sure to follow product label instructions thoroughly during application. We recommend rotating a few different high quality formulas like Headway, Eagle, Armada and Pillar throughout the year so that disease doesn’t have a chance to take over.

Armada 50 WDG comes in the form of water-dispersible granules, which need to be mixed with water and applied using a backpack sprayer. You may also use granular products like Headway, Eagle, and Pillar, which require spreading using an appropriate spreader.

To prevent the development of resistance to a specific fungicide and to avoid exposing diseases to a single product, it can be beneficial to rotate between these products.

In some cases, a second application of fungicide may be necessary. Typically, fungicides remain active in the soil for about 21–28 days. If your lawn has previously experienced a disease outbreak, pathogens may still be present in the soil, particularly following prolonged periods of rainfall within the initial 21–28 days. If rainfall has been scarce, the effectiveness of the fungicide may persist for a longer duration.

Contact your local Carolina Fresh Farms outlet for product availability. It is crucial to read and follow instructions for each kind of fungicide as dosages and best practices may vary. 

For more information about caring for your lawn, check out our care guides by clicking the links below:

An important thing to remember about diseased grass is that while it may appear that it has killed your lawn, it is quite possible to save the turfgrass by dealing with it in a timely manner. Homeowners who understand what to look out for in regards to disease are able to quickly take steps to take care of the issue and create a preventative plan for the future to ensure a healthy lawn year-round. 

If for some reason we aren’t able to resolve your issue, our Carolina Fresh Farms experts can help you diagnose disease issues by looking at close-up pictures of the disease outbreak. Additionally, our trained staff and corporate horticulturist can make recommendations and help you come up with effective solutions to get your lawn back to it’s beautiful, lush green appearance.
Be sure to contact us if you have any product or application questions.

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